Why £100,000-a-week Liverpool Star Does Not Deserve As Much As Criticism He Gets From Reds Faithful
Liverpool have been subjected to a lot of criticism due to varying reasons ever since the new Premier League season began. Their defensive shortcomings have caused a lot of trouble for them and most of their misfortune could be attributed to a lack of awareness at the back. The likes of Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren have failed to put up solid displays and that in turn has truly cost the Reds some points.
While most of what they are receiving is because of their own doing, there is one Liverpool player who does not really deserve the amount of thrashing he has received so far at the hands of fans and critics alike – and that is Jordan Henderson. He receives flak for almost every performance, regardless of whether the Merseyside club manages to win or settle for a draw. And when they lose, it just gets more brutal for Henderson, who earns £100,000-a-week.
It’s not just anger surrounding his performances but also the insinuation of the fact that he is not a good captain. One may not view him as club legend Steve Gerrard but is that reason enough for him to be at the receiving end of so much hate? Most likely not.
Considering the current team, Henderson is the best choice for the captain’s role. He might not be as good as the fans might have hoped for but who else can take up the role in the current squad? Jurgen Klopp simply has to make do with he has and that’s what he is doing with Henderson – especially when it comes to the captaincy part. He plays every week and is quite professional while also gelling well with his teammates. He is a composed figure on the field, which is a necessary trait for a captain.
Moreover, his performances have not been all that poor either. We have all seen him do better but he is one of Liverpool’s most experienced players and sometimes that counts for a lot more than other things. Looking at his numbers this season, they don’t look as bad as most people might think that they are.
In 14 appearances for the Reds, Henderson has scored a goal and an assist while enjoying a pass success-rate of 81.4%, according to WhoScored. These numbers are not spectacular but they are not terrible either.
Especially after the game against Sevilla, Henderson was blamed a lot and he probably deserved it since he was a part of the midfield that was largely responsible for letting go of the club’s stunning 3-goal lead. However, that is not enough to suggest that he is not a good holding midfielder. Furthermore, Henderson was not the only poor player that night – the entire Liverpool team put in a tragic display and they paid the price for it.
So it is not fair that Henderson receives so much criticism from the Reds faithful.